Constable Country
Houses, gardens and artistic inspiration in Suffolk
Dates & Prices
19-23 July 2021
£890 per person
No single supplement
Accommodation
The Mill Hotel, Sudbury or a hotel in Lavenham
Including bed & breakfast and four evening meals
Group Size
Between 9 and 12 people
What’s included
Tickets and entrance to all houses and gardens
19-23 July 2021
£890 per person
No single supplement
Accommodation
The Mill Hotel, Sudbury or a hotel in Lavenham
Including bed & breakfast and four evening meals
Group Size
Between 9 and 12 people
What’s included
Tickets and entrance to all houses and gardens
A five day tour of Suffolk featuring the some of the places that inspired John Constable. He grew up in East Bergholt and took his inspiration directly from the gentle landscape of the Suffolk and Essex border country. The area has a superb collection of half-timbered houses amidst the gentle hills which characterise this often overlooked part of England.
We will visit East Bergholt, Flatford Mill, and also the wonderful towns of Lavenham and Long Melford. At Dedham we visit the wonderful Munnings Art Museum.
Our stay is based in Sudbury at the Mill Hotel. The town was the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough and was renowned for its silk trade. Today there silk is still manufactured here.
Itinerary
Day 1
We meet at the Mill Hotel just by the river in Sudbury and begin with a walk around the town before a drinks reception and dinner in the hotel. A guest speaker will give an introductory talk on Constable and Suffolk.
Day 2
Our first full day takes us to Dedham to visit the church which houses Constable’s painting of the Ascension. We move on to Castle House for a visit to the Munnings Art Museum. From there we move across country to Flatford Mill, the site of several of Constable’s most inspired paintings including the immortal Hay Wain. Today some of the original tranquility is preserved around the mill and we spend some time walking there at the end of the afternoon.
Dinner will be served in the hotel in the evening.
Day 3
Today we visit one of the jewels of Suffolk – Lavenham. Here there are over three hundred listed buildings, most of which are half-timbered. It is one of the finest ensembles of its kind in England. The village grew wealthy from the wool trade and its sharp decline in the sixteenth century meant the town did not expand further and modernise. We will explore the Guildhall and enjoy a private visit to one of the remaining guildhalls. After time for lunch we move on to the fine Tudor mansion and gardens, which have been lovingly restored, at Kentwell Hall.
We return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 4
This morning we journey to Ipswich for a visit to Christchurch Mansion which contains Constable’s Willy Lott’s Cottage. We move on across country to Helmingham Hall Gardens for lunch after which we explore the spectacular award-winning gardens set within a deer park surrounding the moated hall. Our journey back takes us through some very fine villages with remarkably architecture and settings. Dinner will be at the hotel.
Day 5
After breakfast there will be time to visit the Sudbury silk mills before we disperse around lunchtime.
Sudbury is served by trains from Marks Tey on the Colchester mainline each hour.
We will visit East Bergholt, Flatford Mill, and also the wonderful towns of Lavenham and Long Melford. At Dedham we visit the wonderful Munnings Art Museum.
Our stay is based in Sudbury at the Mill Hotel. The town was the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough and was renowned for its silk trade. Today there silk is still manufactured here.
Itinerary
Day 1
We meet at the Mill Hotel just by the river in Sudbury and begin with a walk around the town before a drinks reception and dinner in the hotel. A guest speaker will give an introductory talk on Constable and Suffolk.
Day 2
Our first full day takes us to Dedham to visit the church which houses Constable’s painting of the Ascension. We move on to Castle House for a visit to the Munnings Art Museum. From there we move across country to Flatford Mill, the site of several of Constable’s most inspired paintings including the immortal Hay Wain. Today some of the original tranquility is preserved around the mill and we spend some time walking there at the end of the afternoon.
Dinner will be served in the hotel in the evening.
Day 3
Today we visit one of the jewels of Suffolk – Lavenham. Here there are over three hundred listed buildings, most of which are half-timbered. It is one of the finest ensembles of its kind in England. The village grew wealthy from the wool trade and its sharp decline in the sixteenth century meant the town did not expand further and modernise. We will explore the Guildhall and enjoy a private visit to one of the remaining guildhalls. After time for lunch we move on to the fine Tudor mansion and gardens, which have been lovingly restored, at Kentwell Hall.
We return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 4
This morning we journey to Ipswich for a visit to Christchurch Mansion which contains Constable’s Willy Lott’s Cottage. We move on across country to Helmingham Hall Gardens for lunch after which we explore the spectacular award-winning gardens set within a deer park surrounding the moated hall. Our journey back takes us through some very fine villages with remarkably architecture and settings. Dinner will be at the hotel.
Day 5
After breakfast there will be time to visit the Sudbury silk mills before we disperse around lunchtime.
Sudbury is served by trains from Marks Tey on the Colchester mainline each hour.